Relocating a business: checklist and tips
If you run your own small wellness practice, chances are you will move places at least once. The question is: how to keep customers when relocating your business?
Because, as a good specialist, you probably don’t want to say goodbye to some of your loyal clients and patients. Moreover: sometimes business moving becomes an immediate necessity, putting an abrupt stop to their treatment program. And you would want to avoid that.
We’ll also dive into a “vice versa” situation: how to maintain customer relations when it’s them who are moving.
Step One: your "Relocating a Business" checklist
Start with solidifying your new practice model. You need to be certain of things like:
- Which geographic location you’re moving to.
- What office rental you’re going to get. Here you have two options: a long-term lease and a short-term booking on-demand. The latter works better for keeping customers.
How on-demand wellness & therapy rooms for rent can help you retain customers:
— If you’ve moved out of the previous workspace in a hurry (because anything can happen!), rent a short-time office to keep your workflow and income intact.
— If you haven’t completed treatment of certain patients and clients, you can offer outreach services, with scheduled travels to their area. You can easily book an office per arrival and meet your customers there.
— If you’re moving not cities, but rather areas in the same big city, you can still keep in touch with old clients and regulars. Rent fully equipped and furnished offices in their area, and only pay for the time you were using them.
— If your clients are the ones moving, you can meet them in their new location, so to speak — by renting on-demand treatment spaces there.
- Whether your schedule, price points, or services are about to change in any way.
Why is it important to write down the reasons for moving your practice? It helps to break a certain psychological barrier within you and minimizes the guilt that you might feel. If you’re confident in your reasons to move, it’ll be easier to justify to your client base.
Step Two: how to keep customers coming back
Now that you’ve updated your relocation plans, proceed with informing your client base. We recommend to give them at least a three-week notice: the sooner, the better.
Use all your platforms to launch the news, and start using them simultaneously. When keeping customers satisfied, you must treat them equally. Utilizing every communication channel helps to reach the majority of your clients at the same time, without keeping anyone in the dark.
Ways to inform your customers about relocating:
- Face to face. Tell them when they arrive at the appointment, encourage them to visit you in your new location of business.
- Posters in your office. Hang signs in your place of work, and make sure the information is visible and comprehensive.
- Email newsletter and bulk messaging in text messengers. Write a business relocation letter to customers, explaining when and where you’re moving. Personalize those emails and texts (it can be easily done with CRM software). Make sure every client is already welcome in your new location, and that your practice won’t be the same without them.
- Social media posts. Don’t forget to attach a visual that cuts to the chase, like an image that says “We’re moving! Please, read the caption to learn more”. Mention the upcoming relocation in your account’s bio / the “about us” section. Invest in targeted ads, especially if you’re planning on offering discounts or other bonuses to retain old customers and gain new ones.
- Website. The notification about the relocation should stay visible on every page.
Note: some business accounts in messengers or on social media platforms allow you to temporarily or permanently spotlight certain information. This includes pinning messages in text messengers or adding Instagram Highlights. Use these features to draw attention to your relocation news.
Bottom line
As someone who works in the wellness industry, you know that success here is built on trust. Let your customers and patients know that they can still put faith in your professionalism. And don’t forget to spread the word in advance!
To rent an on-demand wellness or therapy space in your new location, browse listings on Wellerz.
